


The Dark

by ZoneRobotnik



Series: Filling the Blanks [5]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Gen, Varian Angst (Disney), the darkness is seductive, when you're stuck in a cage for hours you talk to yourself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:48:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26017558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoneRobotnik/pseuds/ZoneRobotnik
Summary: After failing to convince Cassandra to give up her villainous goals, Varian is put in a cage and shoved to the side with only himself to talk to. And he has a lot to say to himself.
Series: Filling the Blanks [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1801066
Comments: 7
Kudos: 59





	The Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney
> 
> (Warning: Swearing.)

As a child, Varian had been afraid of the dark. Most kids were. But, he got over that as he got older. Then he feared the shadows that hid bandits in the woods, but that wasn’t the dark, it was just shadows and it was daylight and he just had to make sure to be swift and careful and not make too much noise. Which recently he’d gotten really good at, actually, thanks to being corralled for weeks. Granted, he’d never actually had any run-ins with actual ruffians or thugs that meant to rob him, he had been lucky. He still felt wary of the shadows.  
  
But, around a couple years ago, when he was fourteen, he learned to fear the darkness again. But this darkness wasn’t around him, it came from inside of him, ripped out of his heart like a wild animal and devoured him whole until he was drowning in it. And he watched as the darkness made him hurt people, do terrible things, he became its puppet and it was a cruel puppeteer.  
  
And then he’d managed to break free of it, and was pulled out of the darkness by Rapunzel, but it was still there, still lingering.  
  
And now it was back.  
  
“You’ll stay in that cage until this is done.” Cassandra said coldly as he looked at her in disbelief. “And, just in case you think of escaping…”  
  
He stared ahead at her as his cage was moved away from her, out into the sunlight, suspended in midair.  
  
Varian didn’t have a good experience with heights. There was no good reason for this tower to be so tall.  
  
 _Clearly, she’s overcompensating._  
  
He curled up against the bars, moving a hand to his aching chest. He’d managed to hide the pain from her and keep on trying to convince her – he couldn’t stop – but, now that he was alone, he could let go of the mask and actually inspect his wounds.  
  
Obviously he wasn’t going to undress and check for bruises, but he could feel along the area and see what hurt, what didn’t, was it something life-threatening. “Well, I’m no doctor, but I’d say that this isn’t going to heal within a day.” He sighed and looked towards Corona Castle in the distance.  
  
 _Back behind bars, are we?_  
  
Oh, right. Yeah, the darkness was back. And it was talking to him again. He glanced to his side and saw his younger self sitting with him, his body tinged with red.  
  
 _This happens to us a lot, doesn't it? Hell, we’ve been pretty much caged our whole life. By dad, by the king, by our own lack of self-worth. Oh, wait, that was dad’s doing. A nice attempt to control us so he didn’t have to keep apologizing for our mistakes._  
  
He turned his gaze away from him, then tensed as he felt his gloved arms wrap around his shoulders, drawing his attention back to him as the Darkness practically sat in his lap.  
  
 _Don’t ignore me._  
  
He sighed and closed his eyes. “You’re not real. You’re just in my head.”  
  
 _Yeah, duh. I’m your conscious, you idiot. I’m not going anywhere. I’m the part of you that recognizes that life has always been unfair and the happy smiles and pretty words are just more lies to manipulate us. I’m the part of you that keeps you from happily falling for more empty promises, that keeps you cautious.  
_  
“You’re a part of me that I don’t _need_ anymore. I don’t _need_ to be _cautious_.” He shook his head.  
  
 _You ignored me when you decided to trust Andrew and his promises and **look what happened**_.  
  
Varian winced. “He…he broke his promise. Just like…like everyone else.”  
  
 _Just like everyone else. And now, hah, you foolishly thought that Cassandra would keep her promise to not hurt you and look at you now._  
  
He tensed as his younger self moved his hand down to rest on Varian’s chest, his expression grim.  
  
 _Possible diagnosis: broken ribs. Bruised, at least. That bitch didn’t hold back, did she?_  
  
“Don’t call her that.” Varian frowned.  
  
 _Why not? You’re thinking it. You’re thinking a_ lot _of things, but you’re fighting the truth serum to keep it all in, hurting yourself further. And no one can hear me but you._  
  
“Yeah, now we’re _both_ talking to ourselves.” Varian muttered.  
  
 _Whatever Cassandra is talking to, it’s not herself. You’ve felt it, don’t lie. There’s something there, something that is only barely visible out of the corner of your eye. Something dark, darker than **me**._  
  
Varian sighed and looked to the side. “Can you get off my lap? Sit next to me, maybe?”  
  
 _Sure._  
  
His red-tinged younger self sat next to him and pulled out an alchemy ball, which he started to juggle. Varian watched him, wondering how he could be both the cold, cruel part of him but still have the…innocence he once had.  
 _  
It’s because I was “born” before you went to prison, so this is the form I take. I could match you, if you want._ He paused in his juggling.  
  
“No, it’s…it’s fine.” Varian sighed. “I don’t understand why you’re here. Dad is free. I have no _reason_ to…” He glanced away.  
  
 _Because you prodded at me to try to reach her, and then she broke your heart – and possibly your ribs – and that woke me up fully. And I’m not going anywhere this time, Varian._  
  
He turned to him, gripping the alchemy ball in his gloved hand and staring at him intensely.  
  
 _You **need** me. You got too complacent, too trusting, you **knew** she was dangerous and you were still happy to see her, were stupid enough to gloat!  
  
_“Admittedly, not my best moment.” Varian admitted.  
  
 _The only moment **worse** than that was when you threw a bath bomb at Andrew and the others. That was just embarrassing for everyone involved, even Rapunzel._  
  
Varian cringed. “Yeah…yeah, okay, that was definitely the worst moment in my life.”  
  
 _So, yeah, I’m sticking around from now on. You need someone to keep you from getting ahead of yourself. You need someone to keep you grounded._  
  
The Darkness poked at Varian’s nose and he wrinkled it in response.  
  
 _You need someone to remind you that King Frederic isn’t to be trusted. That you can’t trust **anyone** as easily as you have been. The moment they find out that you’re wounded, they’ll just find you a nuisance. You can’t let them know._  
  
“But, the truth serum…” Varian said, glancing away.  
  
 _Just fight it. Fight it until they’re no longer with you. If we show weakness, if we tell them that we need their help, they’ll cast us aside!_  
  
He placed his gloved hands on either side of Varian’s face.  
  
 _You can’t tell them that you’re an inconvenience. You can’t tell them you’re a **liability**. It’s bad enough we got kidnapped and they have to rescue us, they can’t know that we’re **weak**!_  
  
“You’re using ‘we’ now…” Varian sighed. “I guess…we are a ‘we’, aren’t we? You’re a part of me, after all.”  
  
 _Yeah. We’re in this together._  
  
He took Varian’s hands in his, looking at him with a deranged smile.  
  
 _We’re all we have, when it comes down to it. Even dad left us to fend for ourselves for so long. We don’t have anyone else we can really depend on, no one else we can trust but ourselves. And Varian, unlike anyone else, I will **never** leave you. With me by your side, you will **never** feel alone. We faced the guards, we faced the King, we brought the Kingdom to its **knees** together. Together, we can move mountains! Together, we are **powerful**!_  
  
He moved closer, moving one arm around Varian’s shoulders, the other hand resting against his chest.  
  
 _So, don’t lock me away again. I’ll protect your heart._  
  
Varian felt a tear slip down his cheek and he sniffled. “You’re right…” He bowed his head. “I was so _stupid_ , to push you away.”  
  
He heard footsteps and wiped at his face before he looked up to see Cassandra walking towards him, the thin bridge connecting his cage to the tower growing wider.  
  
“Hungry?” She asked, holding up an apple. “Thought I’d get you something to eat. You know, as a thanks for the incantation.” She stood next to the cage and handed it in.  
  
Varian eyed it warily, considering on if there was any way she poisoned it. After a bit, his growling stomach won and he accepted it, holding it close and taking a bite without a word to her.  
  
“You’re welcome.” She said pointedly.  
  
“ _You’re welcome_.” Varian retorted, not looking up at her.  
  
“Don’t you sass me.” She frowned. “I was trying to be _nice_.”  
  
“Should’ve thought of _that_ before you—” He stopped, the other him placing a hand over his mouth. “…Nevermind.”  
  
“Yeah, you _keep_ your mouth _shut_.” She said smugly. “After all, it’s not like I could make your situation any _worse_ , could I?”  
  
He didn’t reply, his other self still holding his hand over his mouth, prompting him not to push her patience.  
  
“Right.” Cassandra got up and headed for the door, the bridge shrinking behind her. “I’ll check in on you in a little while and see if you have to use the bathroom or anything.”  
  
“…Sure.” Varian sighed as his double finally moved his hand away. “Thanks.” He murmured.  
  
 _That’s what I’m here for._ His double nodded. _Real shiny rock she’s got there. Maybe we can trick her into getting close enough to us we can grab it._  
  
“Hah, no, she’d _kill_ us.” Varian shook his head.  
  
 _True. Still, it’s a thought. There’s gotta be some way to make her pay for hurting us._  
  
Varian sighed. “I dunno. I’m feeling kind of tired.”  
  
 _Then, sleep._  
  
“I’m afraid to.” Varian admitted.  
  
 _Why?  
  
_ Varian looked at him. “I don’t know what will happen to me while I’m asleep. I’m afraid to sleep because it leaves me vulnerable, cut off from the outside world.”  
  
 _That’s fair._ His double shrugged, sitting back next to him to continue his juggling.  
  
“Besides, I slept earlier.” Varian stretched out a bit. “You know, when she used a knockout bomb on us. Me.”  
  
 _Haha, watch it with the second-person talk._  
  
“I know.” Varian blushed. “ _You_ started it.”  
  
He watched as his double tilted his head from side to side and then he was moving closer to him again, wrapping his arms around him once more.  
  
 _I could stop, if you want.  
_  
“I don’t know…maybe. Might help me to avoid doing it.” Varian nodded. “Don’t want anyone to know I’m talking to myself, after all. That’s a weakness.”  
  
 _It is._ His double nodded. _Alright, then I’ll stop. From now on, it’s you and me, not we.  
  
_ Varian sighed and closed his eyes. “So tired…”  
  
 _Then, sleep._  
  
“Alright…” Varian nodded. “Just…just for a bit.”  
  
He felt arms wrap around him tighter and let out a soft, shuddering breath as he drifted off to sleep.  
  
 _It's okay, Varian. I’ll never leave you again._  
  
End

**Author's Note:**

> Varian has a very intimate relationship with his dark side.
> 
> (I intended to do art for this one, but I'll have to do that later. Couldn't figure out the pose I wanted, will put it in when I've figured it out.)


End file.
